GROUP FINDS AREA CANDIDATES ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

Candidates in local political races are largely green in their outlook on environmental issues, according to the third annual survey by a Glastonbury environmental group.

The Association for Sensible Land Use was founded in 1993 and started what has become an annual tradition of querying local political candidates on their positions on environmental issues of local and general impact. The group makes no endorsements.

"Some people gave us short answers, some people gave us long answers. Most were qualified answers," said group leader Sally Wisniewski. "I think everyone was trying to be very careful."

The survey was conducted by group member Margaret Berg of Glastonbury. Participating were state Sen. Paul Munns, R-Manchester, and his Democratic challenger, Mary Ann Handley, in the 4th Senate District race; Rep. Richard D. Veltri, R-East Hartford, and his Democratic challenger, Allan T. Driscoll, in the 9th House District race; and Rep. Sonya "Sonny" Googins, R-Glastonbury, who is running unopposed for the 31st House District seat.

All the candidates scored as generally environmentally friendly. Incumbents Munns and Veltri did not turn in written responses, but rather responded to the questions in telephone interviews, Berg said.

In the Senate race, both candidates said they would lobby Gov. John G. Rowland to release state funds already approved for the purchase of more open space. Both also approve of a regional approach to land-use planning, although Munns believes such an effort should be voluntary.

Both Munns and Handley supported promoting mass transportation as a means of reducing pollution caused by automobile emissions, although Munns said there would have to be enough riders to support it. Handley favored seeing rail service go into eastern Connecticut, Berg said.

Both candidates were asked if they would encourage the Metropolitan District Commission to negotiate with Glastonbury on the purchase of more than 500 acres of MDC-owned wetlands on Keeney Street, an issue stemming from a previous attempt by the MDC to sell the land to developers.

Munns said he worked to get the law changed so that approval of member towns was necessary before the MDC could sell land. Handley agreed that towns should be the "driving force" behind the issue, Berg said.

In the 9th House District race, Driscoll, a lawyer and East Hartford town councilman, said he favored voluntary planning, gradual improvement of waste disposal and voluntary standards for restrictions of pesticides and herbicides stemming pollution of Long Island Sound before any legal restrictions are put into place. Veltri said he would support programs to educate the public.

Driscoll favored mass transit to relieve congestion and supported a study on the feasibility of upgraded Hartford-New Haven rail service, but he said he would not support the Griffin Line as long as Windsor is opposed. Veltri was undecided about the benefit of mass transportation, Berg said.

Driscoll opposed the MDC's selling of watershed land and said he thought the land should be leased to Glastonbury for a nominal fee for recreation. Veltri said he has been working on the problem with other members of the local legislative delegation.

In the 31st House District, Googins said she supports development of rail service for mass transit. She said that regional land-use planning has worked in the Capitol Region and that "lack of such planning can have disastrous and wasteful effects." Googins said she was responsible for legislation that required the MDC to make its first offer to Glastonbury for their land.

Wisniewski said that since her group began monitoring local races, candidates seem to be paying more attention to local environmental issues.

"Maybe we're taking credit for something we shouldn't have, but it does seem people are more concerned about the environment," she said.